PUB00068 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

-54- aSHumptions but even with these we get by calculation a pumpage of 400,000 acre-feet. I knov~ this to be very ccnservative for in 1940 I found 220,000 acre-feet being pumped in the South Platte Valley. To this must be added a substantial amount pumped with engines. The figure of 400,000 acre-feet agrees very well with the estimate of the President's Water Resources Policy Commission. This commission also places the total use at over 500,000 acre-feet. Thomas, the author of a recent book on the Conserva- tion of Ground 'IYater, has higher estimates. Four hundred-thousand acre- feet is a lot of water and a bit difficult to comprehend so I will try to make some comparisons 'with which you are familiar. The Rio Grande, Santa ,'iaria, Sanchez, Terrace and Continental Reservoirs have a combined capacity of 243,000 acre-feet or about 60' percent of the water pumped. It will fill Taylor Park reservoir four times and Green D,'lountain three times. It would be equal to the combined capacities of the seven largest reservoirs in the South Platte system. With these figures we can gain some idea of the magnitude of this supply; we can begin to realize its worth to our irrigation economy. Consider its tremendous value as a working balance between the wet and dry years. Think of the capital investment in wells and equipment -- po~sibly nO,OOO,OOO. If electricity is worth 2 cents per kwhr., ~ 120,000 is being spent annually for that kind of power alone to bring water to the ground surface. . I believe that we can think of ground water as a renewable natural resource. It falls into that category providing it is not used in excess of possible replacement. However we have found places where withdrawals have exceeded replacement and more may and can develop in the future. Possibly to prevent this we can make better use of flood flows in our streams to increase recharge opportunities. Possibly we need legislation to prevent a continually declining water table. This seems to have been the only effective way in dealing with the problem in other states. I am aware that legislation along this line is a hi.ghly controversial issue in Colorado where we have no specific ground-water law. It is not wanted by those whose ground-water supply is now seemingly assured but there appears to be a demand for it by those whose supply is threatened. 'To get around some of the objectives, perhaps control legislation should be invoked only where it is desired. .1 am of the opinion that this is possible. I do not believe that much pump water is wasted because it is too costly, It is the free water -- artesian water -- about which we need to be concerned. The opportunities for waste from artesian wells in any such area are much more numerous than with water table wells. There is no question in my mind that such water should not be hoarded but used to the fullest extent. However it should be used beneficially -- not wasted to cause soil-troubles, to contaminate other ground water sources, to evaporate to the atmosphere or to some unrecoverable water source. These losses combine to reduce pressure and reduce its overall usefulness. One of our biggest problems is the prevention of waste from defective wells. These exist in every artesian area. Many such wells have been abandoned and are worthless. It is a puzzle to know what to do with them. Money .